Click on my name for the previous stories in this series Feeling His Way Through and Mark Figures It Out
"Hey, Tad, you gotta minute?" Paige asked before the first bell rang.
"Sure, Paige, what's up?" Tad absently touched his bruised lip as he stopped. Their schoolmates routed around the two of them to create an oasis in the crowded hallway.
Paige's impromptu baby shower on Friday during lunch in the school cafeteria indirectly led to her ex-boyfriend and reluctant baby-daddy to give Tad a fat lip. It wasn't swollen anymore after three days, but the mottled skin still bore the clear imprint of Charlie Johnson's knuckles.
"I wanted to apologize for what happened Friday," she said, not quite meeting his eyes.
"That's not on you," Tad said with a dismissive wave. "You only went out with him. You didn't make him hit me."
"No, but I spun him up on purpose and knew he was unstable. If I hadn't done that he might not have hurt you." She gave him the kind of stern look that implied how seriously she took her apology.
"He was gunnin' for me ever since he saw me and my boyfriend together last Sunday," Tad said, testing out the word for the first time in public. Duncan had officially declared them dating on Saturday night after giving him the most incredible sexual experience of his eighteen years. I'm dating a college guy, he thought and grinned.
"I still can't get over the fact that you're gay." Paige said with a narrow shake of her head.
"It's no big deal," Tad said, wondering why she even cared.
"I mean, you're a jock and so… manly." She must have detected the annoyance he felt in his expression because she immediately back-pedaled. "I mean, for a gay guy." Her face flushed. "I mean a guy. Who's into guys… fuck me."
His irritation grew until she covered her face with her hand, then he had to chuckle at her embarrassed expression. "How's that shoe taste? Don't worry, I still can't get over the fact that you're pregnant." He managed to mimic her way of speaking without mocking her.
She looked up at his teasing comment with a suppressed grin. "If I apologize for saying all that I have a feeling I'm gonna need to keep apologizing. Can we just start over?"
Nodding his head, Tad straightened up and presented his hand. While they shook he said, "Hi, Paige, I'm Tad Jenkins. It's not your fault Charlie's an ass. I'm glad to see you handling your situation so well. Maybe we can double sometime so I can introduce you to my boyfriend, Duncan."
"I'd like that," Paige laughed as she let go of his hand. "But I think I'll bring my best friend Claire since Charlie's still in jail."
"Still?" Tad asked. "I figured his parents would have bailed him out by now."
"Well, no one in his family speaks to me anymore, but I saw their comments online. Apparently all the viral videos and news stories have convinced the prosecutor to try him in federal court under hate crime laws."
"What?" The news chilled him. It seemed an overreaction to a schoolyard fight over a few slurs and nasty comments. "Wow, I figured he'd end up on probation with some court mandated anger management classes."
"Nope, he'll be up for a mandatory ten years." Her eyebrows shifted up as her lips compressed into a thin line. "Looks like your comment about him ending up a jailbird was truer than you knew." She looked down and rubbed her small baby bump with a sad expression on her face. "Maybe it's for the best. He really was an ass."
"Now I'm sorry for you and the baby," Tad said as he reached out to take her hand.
"I get to say it's not your fault now." Her sad smile pulled at Tad's heart. "Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. If you ever want to hang out at lunch, just drop by the table. I know the girls would love to meet you, not that you're interested in that or anything."
"I'll keep that in mind," he chuckled, but immediately dismissed the idea. His plan was to keep things as normal as possible. He still liked his friends. Even if his best friend Mark was confused at the moment, Tad was sure they would work things out in time. The fact that Tad was attracted to guys didn't define him, it was just another aspect of his life.
"Here's my number," Paige said as she dug out a pen. "If you ever want to talk about anything I'm a good listener and can keep my mouth shut."
Tad realized he liked Paige. She was fun and had handled her unplanned pregnancy with grace. He dug out his own pen and jotted his number down as well. When she handed her phone number over, he was ready with his. "The same goes for you."
The way her smile lit up her face made it impossible not to smile in return. "I'll see you around."
While Tad intended to spend that first Monday after the fight trying to keep things normal, his schoolmates had other plans. In every class his teachers asked about his bruised lip in a way that drew questions about what happened. Each time there was at least one person who hadn't heard about the fight or ensuing media coverage, which forced Tad to recount the events, including the reason why Charlie had hit him.
So seven times that day, in each of his classes, Tad was forced to come out as gay. In the first class he felt physically ill when he said it, but other than mild surprise and idle curiosity, no one seemed to care. On the upside, by the end of the day he could say the words without any more stress than mentioning he had brown hair.
Fortunately, the other guys on his cross country running team didn't even ask about the fight. So after changing into his gym shorts and a little small talk, he started running his laps around the school grounds. As always, running cleared his head and gave him the mental space to work on his problems.
Tad disliked Charlie, no question there. He would have loved nothing more than to pummel Charlie's face in after being hit. The reason he hadn't fought back was because he knew it was childish and pointless to beat someone for being stupid. When he told the police officer he wanted to press charges, Tad never expected to feel guilty about Charlie's punishment.
But he did feel guilty. In his history class Tad had read about some of the high profile cases that led to the passing of the federal hate crime legislation. What happened to people like Matthew Shepard was unconscionable, but comparing Tad's fat lip to that what Matthew went through felt wrong. Charlie might be an asshole, but was being a stupid bigot and taking a swing at someone really worth ten years of his life?
After he finished his practice run, Tad went back into the locker room to grab his clothes and bag without bothering to shower. Duncan was picking him up and had pointed out with his familiar smirk that showering twice was a waste of water. Tad was heading for the door when his best friend Mark ran up.
Tad had been hung up on Mark for a couple of years and had an awkward sexual encounter when they'd hung out a few weeks earlier. While the sex confirmed Tad's attraction to men, it had completely screwed up Mark. Tad still considered Mark his best friend, but things had been tense between them especially since Tad started seeing Duncan.
"Hey," Mark said, slightly out of breath and sweaty. "You leavin'?"
"Yeah," Tad said. "What's up?"
"Nothin'. Just thought we'd walk home together like usual." Mark glanced away like he was unsure of Tad's reaction to his suggestion.
"Most days we can, but Duncan's off tonight and is picking me up. Mom has to work late, so we're gonna grab a bite and hang out." Mark's face fell, but he nodded.
"I need to talk to you about something," he whispered without meeting Tad's eyes. "Something that happened this weekend."
The sight of his friend looking down to twist his fingers together made Tad pause. "Can I call you tonight after I get home?" Tad suggested.
"Sure," Mark said and glanced around. "Maybe I could come over?"
"Okay," Tad said as he tried to get a read on why Mark was acting so weird. "It'll probably be after seven."
"Have fun," Mark said as he turned away to head back into the locker room.
Tad pushed the odd conversation out of his mind as he walked out the front of the school to see Duncan leaning against his beat up Accord. As soon as their eyes met Tad felt a stirring in his shorts as a grin appeared on his lips.
"Hey, kid, you want some candy?" Duncan said as he pushed away from the car and stepped toward Tad.
Tad laughed and stood still when they came face to face. The sexual tension between them was intense and made Tad's heart pound. They both leaned closer until their lips touched, then their mouths opened slightly to allow their tongues to touch. Duncan tasted of mint and Tad worried for a moment his own breath wouldn't be as sweet.
When Duncan broke the brief kiss he took Tad's bags and tossed them into the back seat of his car. "I think I like it when you smell all sweaty."
"You promised me a shower," Tad said as he walked around the car to get in the passenger seat.
"And I've been thinking about it all day," Duncan said as he slid into the driver's seat and started the car. "I'm gonna scrub you inside and out."
Tad chuckled. "Thanks for picking me up today."
"It'll be my pleasure," he said with a sly glance over as he pulled away from the curb. "So how'd the first day back go?"
While Tad filled him in on his day, Duncan listened quietly until he mentioned Charlie getting prosecuted for a hate crime.
"Damn," he said with his eyebrows coming together. "Score one for the community!"
Tad flinched at Duncan's reaction. "But doesn't ten years in prison seem a little… harsh?"
Duncan chuffed and shook his head. "I've been out for four years and taken so much shit from small-minded bigots I could scream. People need to knock that kind of shit off and half-measures aren't gonna change anyone's mind." He looked over at Tad when they stopped at a red light and reached out to brush his thumb over Tad's bruised lip. "After Friday, I never want to see another story about someone gettin' a fat lip because they're gay. If Charlie gets to be the object lesson, that's on his ass."
Tad mulled the comment over as they drove the rest of the way to Duncan's apartment. He'd barely been out for a weekend and didn't really know how bad things were. Maybe Duncan was right, but it was still hard for Tad to justify taking a big chunk of Charlie's life to make a point.
Tad carried the bag with his clothes up the stairs and followed Duncan through the front door. As soon as it was closed and locked, Duncan pulled Tad into a tight embrace and kissed him. Dropping his bag, Tad reached around Duncan's neck to run his fingers through his short hair. Electric sparks shot through him as Duncan rubbed his erection against Tad's shorts.
"You're wearing too many clothes," Duncan whispered in his ear.
"Where's that shower you promised me?" Tad teased in return.
Grabbing the bag, then taking Tad by the hand, Duncan led him down the hallway to the bathroom. It had been thoroughly cleaned and there were two towels hanging together on the rack behind the toilet. On the tank behind the toilet was some lube, condoms, and the same injection style applicators Tad had bought for himself.
"I've been busy," Duncan said as he lifted the sweaty shirt tail up, prompting Tad to lift his arms. Then Duncan lowered Tad's shorts and underwear, pulling his shoes and socks off when he got down to his feet. "Get in and start the shower. I'll be right behind you."
"That's what I was hoping," Tad chuckled as he stepped in and pulled the curtain. He rinsed in the warm water, then quickly washed his hair. Duncan got in while he was rinsing off the shampoo and used his fingers to help scrub the soap out.
Tad turned to kiss him in the warm spray as their erections tapped and rubbed. He ran his hands up Duncan's back, enjoying the slippery feel of his wet skin. The kiss opened and became more intense as Duncan began to stroke along Tad's shaft, moving to cup his balls between strokes.
"Have you ever fucked in a shower before?" Tad asked. "I think I need some pointers."
Duncan smiled against Tad's lips. "See that bar back there?" he asked and gestured to the towel rod at the back of the shower.
"Yeah," Tad said as he kissed him again.
"You grab it with both hands, put one foot on the side of the tub, and leave the rest to me," Duncan said as he pushed Tad to turn around.
Tad watched over his shoulder as Duncan reached through the curtain to bring a loaded syringe applicator into the shower. The cool tip penetrated him slowly as he bowed his back to open himself up. The lubricating gel felt cold compared to the warm water, but Tad's body had already been conditioned to anticipate what it meant. His cock practically thrummed from the tension he felt in his chest and stomach.
"There's something I want to do, but I'd never do it without your permission," Duncan said as he massaged some additional lube between Tad's cheeks.
"What?" Tad asked as he pushed back against the fingers teasing him open. Duncan was working the tight muscles loose a finger at a time while Tad pushed out to keep himself open.
"I want to go bareback in you," he whispered against Tad's wet skin. "You know I'm clean, but some people don't like butt babies."
The suggestion made Tad's cock jump. He and Duncan had discussed their respective pasts and Tad didn't have to trust him because he'd seen the report from the clinic where Duncan had been tested recently. Since Tad had only been with Mark before and they were both virgins, he knew he was clean as well.
"I admit I'm curious if it feels different," Tad said over his shoulder. "Go ahead."
"It feels better to me and I get off on the idea of cumming inside you," He pressed against Tad's back to kiss his shoulders and rubbed his shaft between Tad's slippery cheeks. "I probably won't last as long because I've been saving up since Saturday night."
Tad pushed back against him and hummed deep in his chest as Duncan's hands reached around to rub his chest and stomach. When one hand went down to guide his cock in, the other had went to Tad's cock to stimulate him at the same time.
Feeling Duncan penetrate him made Tad shut his eyes and bite his lip. There was an initial sense of pressure, then Tad's muscles relaxed on their own to allow Duncan's smooth head inside. Moving back and forth slowly, Duncan inched his way in while his breath fell on Tad's wet shoulders.
"So fucking good," Duncan murmured when his curly hairs finally touched Tad's ass. Moving his hand along Tad's shaft in time with his slow thrusts, Duncan bit Tad's shoulders making them both shudder.
"It does feel different," Tad whispered as he pushed back against Duncan's thrusts. "It's smoother somehow." He sucked air through his teeth after a particularly strong shiver. "You feel warmer, too."
"Yes," Duncan murmured. His fingers were rubbing circles around Tad's sensitive head, then he made a tube with his fingers for Tad to thrust into.
The pace stayed slow while Tad worked toward his end. The pleasure inside and Duncan's slippery hand finally brought him to the end of his control. Gripping the bar, he whimpered then groaned out as he splashed bursts of cum against the back wall of the shower. Duncan worked his hand faster to milk out every drop.
"Damn, that felt so good from inside you," Duncan said, then sucked at the spot where Tad's neck and shoulders met.
Duncan thrust faster while Tad paid close attention to the wonderful sensations. After his own release, it was like his sensitivity had been increased and he could feel every inch of Duncan's cock pushing into him. When Duncan cried out and thrust in harder, Tad pushed back to feel a spreading warmth inside. Oh shit, He's cumming inside me!
The idea of Duncan filling him inspired a different kind of pleasure. Tad squeezed to grip the cock invading his ass and could feel the pulses through the tight ring of muscle. Then Duncan cried out again, pushing through the tight hole with a frenzy of kisses and gasps.
Tad welcomed the response by turning his head as far as he could so some of the wild kisses could land on his cheek and lips. Duncan's arms clutched at Tad's chest as he kissed in the afterglow until the cock inside him softened and slipped out on its own. Tad turned then to embrace Duncan in the warm spray, kissing with a more tenderness than they'd shared before.
"Thank you," Duncan whispered into his mouth. "So good."
Tad felt closer than ever to Duncan at that moment. The experience of being fucked was the same, but the intimacy going bareback created was completely different than Tad expected. He couldn't find the words to express what he felt, so he kept kissing Duncan until they both recovered.
After looking into each other's eyes for a while, Duncan's lips twitched into a smirk. "Now we'll get to find out how you feel about butt babies."
"It won't matter," Tad said with a sigh. "If I can make you feel that good, I'll deal with ‘em."
"Next time you can put the butt baby in me," Duncan laughed, "I don't know about you, but I'm starved for some reason."
"I can make us a pizza at home if you want to hang out for a while," Tad suggested.
"Sounds perfect," Duncan said as he grabbed the body wash and sponge. "Turn around and I'll clean up our mess."
By the time they cooked together, ate dinner with Mom, and Duncan left, Tad had completely forgotten about calling Mark. He was working at the kitchen table on the project for his research and technical writing class when the doorbell rang.
Mom looked up from the couch where she was watching some inane reality show and said, "Were you expecting anyone?"
"Nope," Tad said as he got up and walked to the front door. He recalled his conversation with Mark as soon as he saw him standing there. "Damn, dude, I'm sorry! I Totally forgot to call you."
"It's okay," Mark said as he glanced past Tad. "Is now a good time?"
"Sure, come on in. I was just working on a research paper." Tad stepped back to let Mark in and closed the door behind him. "You want anything? We've got some leftover pizza."
"No, I'm good. Well, maybe a Coke if you have one." Mark followed Tad into the kitchen.
"So what's up?" Tad said as he pulled a Coke can from the fridge and handed it to Mark.
Glancing out at Tad's mom in the living room, he whispered, "Can we sit out on the patio?"
"Sure." Tad walked over to the sliding glass door. Glancing at his mother Tad said, "Mark and I are gonna be out here if you need me."
"Okay," she replied with a curious look on her face.
After they got outside and Tad slid the door closed, Mark sighed and collapsed in a padded patio chair. "I've got to talk to someone about what happened this weekend or I'm gonna explode."
"So what happened?" Tad asked as he sat next to his friend and leaned closer, resting his elbows on his knees.
"After your fight with Charlie got all over news, my brothers started giving me shit about you being gay. Like, how come I didn't already know since you're my best friend and shit like that. Dad even got into it at dinner on Friday night, saying all kinds of nasty shit about you." Mark looked up with raised eyebrows and said, "You see what I mean now? If I ever told them about what we did…" He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, man," Tad said. He knew Mark had a completely different situation. Mom had admitted she suspected Tad was gay and had a crush on Mark when he came out to her. And while Tad liked Mark before they had sex, Mark had acted disgusted right after taking his virginity and then left without another word.
"So anyway, I was losing my mind on Saturday. I missed hangin' out with you, but obviously I couldn't just call you up. So I swiped my brother's fake ID and went out." Mark had tears in his eyes when he looked up at the sky and shook his head. "I went to that club by UCF we always laughed about going to someday."
It was a dance club located under some high rise apartments and was a well-known meat market for just about any kind of sexual desire. Straight, gay, BDSM, or poly, someone was either there for it or knew where it could be found.
"So what happened," Tad asked when Mark had been quiet for a while.
"I met a guy there named Toby." He laughed sadly and rubbed his forehead. "I get it now."
Tad felt strangely jealous. Not because he still wanted Mark, but because at one time Tad would have done anything to share that experience with him. "I see."
"No you don't. I can't be gay, man." Mark sounded worn down and heartbroken.
"I don't think that's how it works," Tad said and patted Mark on the shoulder.
"I wanted to be with girls! When I watched porn, I loved lipstick blow jobs and tits and close-up pussy shots!" Mark was getting a little loud in his panic.
"So maybe you're more flexible than I am." Tad shrugged. "Girls look nice to me, but there's no spark. I still say you need to get out there and try dating a girl again."
"You still don't get it." Mark looked down between his feet and shook his head. "I liked it, dude. I liked everything about it. We fucked. And If I was sure no one would find out, I'd go out and do it again every fucking day of the week."
"It probably doesn't help much, but I know exactly how you feel."
"Yeah," Mark said, not indicating if it helped or not.
"We're still friends. I'm here if you want to vent or complain or shoot up shit on the XBox. And Duncan is cool, you'll like him. We can all hang out."
Mark looked up with a sad smile and welling eyes. "Except now that you're gay and everyone knows it, we can't hang out anymore. I gotta live at home and you have no idea what it's like there. Not really."
"Wait." Tad felt his heart chilling in his chest. "So this is it?"
"Yeah," Mark said. "Dad made it pretty clear Friday night at dinner what would happen if I ever went fag. I can't afford college on my own, so at least for now I'm locked in the closet."
"I'm sorry." If Charlie was guilty of a hate crime, so was Mark's dad. Making family love conditional on being straight suddenly seemed worse than bullying or getting hit by a bigot.
Mark stood up and drained his coke, then belched out loud. "I've got to go. Mom thinks I'm at the store getting her some stuff."
"I'll still see you at school tomorrow."
Mark shrugged as he opened the sliding glass door. "Yeah, I'll see you around."
Tad walked him out, his heart torn for his friend. Then he went inside to talk to his Mom about it.
Source: reddit.com/r/sexystories/comments/3b8dx4/staying_out_mmanal